Chapter Sixty-Four

Tom had approached Aggie about her trousseau for her entrance into the noviciate and she was pleased and grateful, if reluctant to accept his generous offer.

“I can’t Tom I know you mean well and I do appreciate your thoughts, but the other postulant will be using the convent dress and I don’t want to look any different from her on that great day. Please understand Tom. I don’t want to stand out from the others. I don’t want to be singular that’s why nuns all dress alike, so that there is no singularity. Please understand Tom ... Please.”

Tom was hurt, but in admiration of this lovely girl who sat beside him in his disappointment as he nodded shyly of his understanding.

“Am I allowed to take your hand?” he asked, hardly above a whisper and Aggie smiled.

“I’m not behind the grill yet, Tom Carey, Sir,” she said and took his hand in her own, warmly and kissed it. His eyes filled with tears and Aggie tried to make light of her apparent virtues. “Besides, I’m trying to forget about this old body of mine not decorate it,” she laughed and Tom could see the beauty of her nature that certainly needed no further decor.

***

The day of the investiture arrived and the nuns were singing in the choir stalls. It was a beautiful morning and the sun was shining in the heavens.

‘Veni, creator Spiritus .

Mentes tuorum visita .’

All the family, including Robert Wells, filled the little convent chapel to witness the engagement of their daughter and sister to her spouse, Jesus Christ. Three of the new postulants had left the convent and had returned to their homes again and only Aggie and the French girl, Anna, remained to be clothed in the habit of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The Mass began and the Priest read a short lesson.

Aggie and Anna came from the back of the chapel, followed by the white veiled novices and then the professed nuns with their black veils. They walked erect and with grace; their heads held high and the two postulants bore a garland of flowers over their head veils and each held a lighted candle.

‘Something old something new

Something borrowed ... something blue... ‘

The new brides of Christ would not be outdone in the old tradition of the bride and Aggie wore the simple white dress of the convent, which had been used many times before. Her white satin shoes were new. . a present from Tom and Mary and she had borrowed the family christening veil and wore it with pride. Underneath her collar, nearest her neck, she had sewn a little blue medal of Our Lady, which had been given to her by Willie and she was a complete bride in every sense as she walked with love towards her God.

“Do you renounce Satan and all his wicked works?”

The priest chanted the verse and the thurible clicked its holy dust over the high altar as clouds of incense pervaded the air.

“I do,”

Each postulant replied in turn.

“Do you enter this convent of your own free will, to live in the sacred vows; poverty chastity and obedience to your lawful Superiors, for Christ’s sake?”

Six young altar boys varying in size and shape stood by in awe. Their white surpluses against the sophisticated black soutane, stood out in contrast to their shiny, innocent and somewhat cheeky faces.

“I do,”

“And do you seek only the will of God and His pleasure, renouncing all else?”

Mary watched her daughter’s face with sadness but with pride as she answered,

“I do,”

Reverend Mother Gabriel then slipped a piece of paper to the priest and he adjusted his spectacles.

‘Te Deum laudamus; te Dominun confitemur.’

Tom dried his eyes as the harmonious and eerie chanting of the nuns seemed to sanctify the scene.

“Miss Anna Maria Danielle you will be received into the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and will be known henceforth as Sister Genevieve,” The priest checked the names against the tiny slip of paper he held in his hand.

“Deo Gratias,”

The nuns all answered in chorus ...

“Miss Agnes Veronica Blair you will be received into the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and will be known henceforth as Sister Celine of Jesus.”

“Deo Gratias,”

The two new novices genuflected and Reverend Mother took their candles and extinguished them, before she removed the flower garlands from their heads and the trio left the altar by a side entrance as the nuns continued to sing in Gregorian chant.

‘O Salutaris Hostia, quae coeli pandis Hostium.’

A few moments elapsed between the chant and the ‘O Salutaris’ before the nuns returned once more in procession where the two novices, now in the garb of a nun, led the line of figures as they glided gracefully onto the Sanctuary. Sister Celine held her head high and her hands were joined together in prayer. Sister Genevieve walked shyly beside her.

Mary could not believe her eyes that this new young nun could possibly be her Aggie. Her daughter’s face was pale and tranquil under the white coif that enclosed her head and her large, dark eyes bore a smile of peace and serenity, whilst her lips moved slowly in praise of her Beloved. Her tiny feet were shod in rough sandals and her brown scapular was draped over the voluminous habit of Carmel. A cream mantle hung from her shoulders and her white veil, depicting her as a novice, completed the picture. Mary gasped with pride and turned to look at Tom for a second, but she did not want to look too long away from the picture that stood before her. Willie’s feelings of love for his ‘nun-sister’ were too much. He blessed himself and silently left his pew.

The family gathered in the larger convent parlour to see and speak to the new nuns, in close proximity and in touching distance for the last time. On their next visit, they knew that Sister Celine of Jesus would only be able to see them through the convent grill and then only with her veil shrouding her face. There were tears and laughter and everyone was excited as Robert Wells came towards the new nun.

“I can’t thank you enough, Sister. You have helped to change my whole way of life. Will you pray for me that I will continue this way as I don’t want to drop back again ... Not ever...”

Sister Celine was embarrassed, but proud of Robert’s achievements and of Sadie’s smile of adoring approval. Little Fiona stared with starry eyes all through the ceremony. Perhaps later in life, she would understand the significance of what had happened that day and Aggie, thinking of her old name as she turned to Willie, blushed as she portrayed her love for him unashamedly and her face grew pink under her snow-white veil.

“I was sorry to hear about Wattie,” she whispered and Willie shifted from one foot to the other but he did not answer. Instead, he swallowed hard and his nostrils tightened in control of his emotions but the effect was more than he could bear.

“Aggie Aggie,” he cried and threw himself into her arms. She held him close and pressed her lips to his forehead.

“You smell nice, Willie,” she exclaimed through her tears, but he was at a loss as to how he should address her.

“I’ve never hugged a nun before .” he said with his head held low and his sister smiled in amusement as her large, clear eyes widened in mock surprise.

“I should think not, indeed,” she said and held him at arm’s length to see the beauty of the brother she had forsaken for a stronger and more positive Love. “But it has been very nice Sir. Maybe we’ll do it again sometime, eh?”

Willie did not laugh as she had expected he might but he looked at her for a very long time before he spoke again.

“I love you Sister Celine of Jesus and I would want the whole world to know it.”